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THE IRISH OPENJune 28, 2013Shane LowryKILDARE, IRELAND SHANE LOWRY: I was just saying mentally I was very good today. Didn't get down on myself, just dug it out and I managed to finish birdie, birdie for 70, which I'm actually chuffed. Q. You've got something going at the moment? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I do. I'm playing good golf. I'm standing up and I'm feeling comfortable over the ball, and I'm hitting my driver as hard as I can, which is always a good thing for me and not guiding it out there, which is what I didn't do the first few holes. First committed swing was really on the fifth hole today and after that, I sort of free‑wheeled nicely and played good golf. Q. You find yourself now in that type of position just behind the leading group in the third round; you're not going to be at the cutting edge of where all the attention is, but there will be a lot of attention on you. SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I suppose two off the lead, going into the weekend, be probably a few groups in the end tomorrow which is nice and where you want to be really. Q. Looks like you're really enjoying yourself out there, when things are not going well, you're getting up‑and‑down and there's a smile on your face and you're moving on? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, my short game is good enough, and I think it's an advantage on this course to have quite a good short game, because you are going to miss greens out there. You're definitely going to miss greens, and you're going to have to get it up‑and‑down and I managed to have quite a few up‑and‑downs today, which was nice and what's kept me in there really. Q. Is it good that you've suffered misfortune your first two rounds, but knowing the course as you do, you can get it back? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I knew there were birdies out there. I knew the second was playing downwind and 4 was playing downwind and 13, the par 5s were really playable today. I knew the golf course was going to show up a few birdies and obviously going to show up a few disaster, as well, if you hit it in the wrong spot. I played smart golf and stayed patient all day and paid off at the end. Q. You had a huge gallery at Baltray following you; will be a similar vibe. SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, obviously there's a few big Irish names have dropped out early unfortunately if the cut stays at level but hopefully I can give them something to cheer about the weekend. Q. You're probably saying this for the fourth or fifth time but how particularly good was that finish? SHANE LOWRY: It was nice. It was very, very tough out there today. I watched quite a bit of the golf on TV this morning at my house and I was looking at the lads making birdies and then I saw it in the range and it was a 30‑mile‑an‑hour wind and I'm thinking, this is not going to be easy. Shaky start, but dug in nicely and proud of myself the way I handled myself, and to finish birdie, birdie, shoot 70, is quite pleasing, yeah. Q. You bounced back terrifically and you seem to be buoyed by the support of the crowd, as well. SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, the crowd is good. The roar on 17, that was interesting, it was good, and hopefully I'll give them something to roar about the weekend. Q. Have they made it pretty special on 17 with the grandstand? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it's cool. I was the group behind Peter Lawrie and watched him hit it in pretty much stone stead, almost made hole‑in‑one, and made birdie there and I rolled in a 20‑footer for birdie. It's good the crowd have that and great for us players as well. Q. You've moved into what is now a tidy position when it didn't look like it the start of the round? SHANE LOWRY: Exactly, I went right back into the pack, and seen the leaders were 9‑under, and I knew I needed to get to, I would have been happy being five; I would have been happy shooting level par today. Finishing birdie, birdie was nice, and the up‑and‑down on 16 was good, as well, that could easily have went the other way, as well. Q. Could I ask your thoughts on Rory? SHANE LOWRY: I mean, I thought Rory played quite well today, I thought. He definitely played a lot better than he played yesterday, drove it well and played it well, and that's all I can say. Q. Well, he's a loss obviously to The Irish Open, as are a few others, but do you feel you're carrying it on your shoulders? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, obviously Pádraig, if cut stays at level, Rory and Graeme missing the cut and Paul as well, it's going to be quite disappointing for the Irish crowd. Hopefully I can give them something to cheer about the weekend. Q. The 7‑under that you have is very good considering you got the worst of the weather on both days? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, exactly. I think it was the wrong side of the draw. I think, yeah, I'll probably‑‑ I think I'm leading my side of the draw which is always a good thing. I'm only a couple off the lead but my golf is very good at the minute. I'm playing quite well and looking forward to the weekend. Q. Robert Rock is at the top; would be ironic if you played together the final day? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it would. I've played with Rocky quite a bit over the last few days, obviously the Irish Open I won, I beat him in a playoff. I don't care who it is that's up there, as long as I'm up there. Q. Was there an issue with your driving, was it going left on occasion? SHANE LOWRY: It's the first I've heard of that. Don't put it into my head. Apparently I was driving the ball badly (laughter). No, nothing wrong it, no. Q. 2‑over par through seven holes, how chuffed are you with the days end? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I'm delighted. Was never going to be easy going out there today. Got off to a shaky start, but 2‑over par and done well to be 2‑over par to be honest. Grinded out and managed to finish birdie, birdie which was nice and looking forward to the weekend. Q. You said you feel confident and comfortable with your game; what's fueling your feelings? SHANE LOWRY: I don't know, been playing well the last while and putting some scores together. Game is in good shape, feeling confident and ready to go for the weekends. Q. A lot of the leading Irish players in the past have told us they struggle with the pressure and expectations that the crowds put on him here, and you're embracing it; how? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it's tough to do. There's a lot of expectation but I suppose I'm more confident on my home course here, comfortable with the surroundings, and, yeah, it's an advantage for me this week I think. So I'm going to try and use that advantage. Q. As the cut goes away, we are going to lose a lot of the big names and the pressure will really be on you, can you maintain that? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I'll give it my best, that's all I can do. All I can do is go out there tomorrow and hit the first tee shot and see where it leaves me Sunday afternoon and hopefully I can give them something to cheer about the weekend. Q. Can you talk me through the round, you said you started with a long putt for a bogey? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, holed a 15‑footer on the first for bogey, very shaky start. Not the start I was looking for but I suppose I done well to be 2‑over after seven, and you know, I managed to make a few birdies from there on in. Hit a great tee shot on 9, made birdie there, hit it on to the green on 13 and made birdie there. Bad bogey on 14 but birdied 17 and 18. Missed a short one on 15, as well. I played well for the last sort of 12 holes, which is always‑‑ to be honest I was quite nervous this morning. Q. Really? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I was. I'm sure I'll be quite nervous the next two days, but I learned from today, just to go out and commit to every shot. I didn't really commit to shots early doors, and the first sort of real committed swing I had was on the fifth hole. That's all I can do for the next few days and see what happens. Q. Is it the expectations of the crowds? SHANE LOWRY: I don't know, I'm desperate to do well in this tournament. I'd give nothing more, or I'd love nothing more than to contend this weekend and putting myself in a great position now and really looking forward to it. Q. A couple of the other players gone now, do you feel there's any other expectation on you? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I suppose there is a little bit of expectation, but you know, that's a good thing, isn't it. There's going to be a lot of people out here over the weekend and hopefully they will come out and support me and I'll do my best for them. Q. Very supportive crowd, as well? SHANE LOWRY: A lot of people from home, it was great. Q. 7‑under par, safe to say when you teed it up yesterday morning you would have taken that at the halfway stage? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, definitely. I said at the start of the week, I wanted to give myself a chance going into the weekend and definitely done that. I knew after a decent score yesterday, I knew going in today that it was going to be very tough. Got off to a shaky start but managed to get things right on the back nine and I'm really happy with that performance today. Q. Second day in a row, not the best of starts but very nice way to finish? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it was. I actually holed about a 15‑footer for bogey on the first which is almost a decent start when you hole a putt like that on the first. Yeah, I finished birdie, birdie and got myself up there tied third going into the weekends, it's great on my home tournament and my home course. Q. Going into the weekends, you're going to be among the late starters tomorrow. The fact that you've won The Irish Open before, how big a factor is that heading into the last two days? SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I think the crowd is going to be a big key at the weekend. There's going to be plenty of people coming out to watch me and hopefully I can give them something to shout about. Q. A word on Rory McIlroy who won't be here for the weekend, a lot of big names haven't made the cut; has that surprised you? SHANE LOWRY: It's that type of golf course. It's easy to go out there and shoot 75. It's tricky, especially in conditions like this, and yeah, it's unfortunate to see Rory and Pádraig and Graeme miss the cut, but hopefully I can give the Irish guys something to cheer about the weekend. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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